blackberry ice cream

you really didn't think i would let this week pass without some ice cream, did you?

jason says this is the best ice cream he's ever had. period. a little ecstatic for me (my favorite definitely involves chocolate), but i agree it's probably the best fruit ice cream i've ever made. the berries keep just enough of their tartiness so the ice cream isn't too sweet. the perfect balance.

this ice cream is pretty simple if you remember two things -

1. please please please crush the berries and strain them. someone i know - i won't name names - took a shortcut and decided to keep the berries whole. needless to say, the ice cream itself has little to no flavor and since the berries are whole, when you find one, it's like a block of ice in your ice cream. really, it's not so good. take the time to strain it. it's well worth it. (i mashed & strained mine a couple days before i made my ice cream. i kept the juice in the fridge and it was fine. shake it up good before using it.)

2. be careful when making the custard. don't let it cook too long. the first time i made this batch, i let the egg and half & half mixture cook too long. instead of "coating the back of a spoon" i had a pan full of scrambled eggs. it was awful. luckily i had enough half & half and eggs to redo. but don't make the same mistake. once you put the egg mixture on the stove to thicken, don't stop mixing. and as soon as the mixture coats the back of the spoon - run your finger through it, does it hold the path? or does it run? when it holds the path, it's done - remove it from the heat and strain into the heavy cream. and make sure you strain so if there are any small bits of cooked egg, they don't end up in your ice cream. if frozen berries are bad, i can't imagine what biting into a piece of cooked egg would be like. either way, it's not good.

blackberry ice cream
adapted from david lebovitz's raspberry ice cream in the perfect scoop

4 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. crush the berries and strain them with a cheesecloth or fine metal strainer. you should have about 1 2/3 cup juice.
2. in a sauce pan, heat the half & half and sugar over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. while the half & half and sugar are heating, place the heavy cream in the bottom of a bowl. place a strainer above it. in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
4. when the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. pour a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of the mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. when incorporated, whisk in the remaining sugar mixture.pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
5. heat the custard over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. be careful here - don't let it go too long or you'll have a pan of scrambled eggs.
6. remove from the heat and pour through the strainer into the heavy cream. stir to incorporate.
7. add the blackberry and lemon juices and mix thoroughly.
8. chill overnight (or a few hours) and churn according to your ice cream maker. david has great instructions for making ice cream if you don't have an ice cream maker.